Treatment mask



April 3, 1952 c. AERICK 2,591,992

TREATMENT MASK Filed April 26, 1949 yia ia lwi'lia i'iw; 1/

E 1 E INVENTOR.

(hail 2 72.14 e rz 07" Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention is a treatment mask, and is designed particularly for vaporizing medicament to be inhaled by the patient, as well as to generate heat either in the mask or in the medicament.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a mask of the character and for the purposes generally stated, by means of which the medicament may be easily and quickly vaporized and liberated in such manner as to be taken into the breathing organs of the patient without danger of loss of any of the vapor and without the opportunity for outside air being introduced to the lungs during such treatment.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mask of such construction that the medicament may be vaporized while heat is simulta-' neously introduced to the mask in such position as to treat the sinus passages of the patient.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a treatment mask of the character stated by means of which the medicament cartridge may be easily introduced to or withdrawn from the mask without disturbing the position of the mask upon the face of the patient.

' as to lie fiat upon the forehead, temples and A still further object of the invention is to provide a mask of the character and for the purposes stated which is of simple construction, which may be manufactured and maintained at low cost, which may be easily and quickly applied to or removed from the face of the patient, which has few parts to become disorganized in operation, and which will prove fully satisfactory in the accomplishment of the objects set forth.

With the foregoing objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully here inafter, illustrated in the drawing, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure l is a top plan view of a treatment mask constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view taken substantially upon the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially upon the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, 4 indicates generally the mask body. This body may be formed of those materials usually employed in the manufacture of face treating apparatus, heating pads, etc., and may be of wool, cotton cloth, hard or sponge rubber or composition materials, as will be understood. The body cheeks so as to substantially seal affair from entrance thereto when the pad is properly applied to the face of the patient.

In order to maintain the dome portion 6 in proper spaced relationship with the nose, a wall 9 is provided. This wall is integral with the body and forms an upstanding element, the lower edge of which rests upon the face of the patient immediately above the upper lip and in spaced relationship to the nostrils of the patient. In instances where the body is formed of flexible material such as wool, cotton or sponge rubber. the wall 9 will be relatively stiff so as to maintain the dome in spaced relationship with the breath ing apparatus of the patient. In order to seal off the lower edge of the wall 9 a flexible flap I0 is provided. This flap rests flat upon the face of the patient immediately adjacent to the mouth.

The dome portion 6 is hollow as shown, and includes a chamber I I closed at one end but open at its outer end to receive a removable cartridge or medicament holder I2. This holder may be formed of any desired material and is open at the outer end to admit air to the medicament, and fits snugly within the chamber II, it being provided with openings or apertures l3 to permit the fumes thereof to escape. The chamber II has arranged therein upper and lower spaced bafiles l4 and I5, each of which is apertured as at H5. The lower bafile i5 underlies the cartridge I2 and serves to hold any liquid escaping through the openings i3 from coming into contact with the face of the patient.

The means for heating the body includes resistance wires I1. These wires are embedded in the body, within the cheek and frontal portions thereof, as well as in the walls of the dome portion 6. The resistance structure is such that it is capable of being plugged in to the ordinary house circuit, as will be readily understood, and is suitably controlled as to heat intensity by a rheostat or other suitable device.

In use, the body is appliedgto the face of the patient in the manner above described and as shown by the drawings. Theyfrontal portion 1,

as well as the cheek wings 8, lie flat upon the face of the patient and seal off air which might tend to gain access to the under part thereof. The wall 9 maintains the dome portion 6 in proper spaced relationship from the nose so as to provide the space 5. When the resistance wires are plugged in, the heat generated in the resistance I! will be transmitted to the cheeks and to the frontal piece 1 adjacent to the sinus passages so that they may be treated. At the same time the heat from the resistance wire I! is transmitted to the medicament contained by the cartridge [2, whereupon a vapor is created and liberated in the chamber II, from whence it passes around the baffle I5 to the chamber 5, from whence it is taken into the lungs of the patient through the nostrils.

In instances where the treatment is for heatin the sinus locations of the patient, this may be carried out by removing the cartridge l2 if no lung treatment is to be afforded.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a treatment mask of extremely simple construction, which may be manufactured and sold at low cost, which has its parts so constructed and assembled as to minimize the opportunity for break-age or derangement, which may be readily applied and used without the exercise of special skill, and which will prove highly practical and efficient in operation.

I claim: 7

.1-. A-treatment mask comprising a body of material shaped at one endto conform to and bear against the forehead and cheeks of the user in substantially sealed contactual relationship 30 therewith, said, body being shaped at its opposite end to provide a nose receiving cavity, a dome portion projecting from said body over the nose cavity and providing a space between said portion and the nose, a wall portion integral with said body at the end of said cavity to bear against the upper lip of the user, a sealing flap at the end of said wall shaped to conform to the contour of the user's upper lip, means to retain medicament in said dome portion, and means at the opposite end of said mask for heating said forehead engaging portion and the medicament contained in said dome.

2. A treatment mask comprising a body of material shaped to bear against the forehead and cheeks of the user in substantially sealed relationship therewith, a dome portion rising from said body adjacent the nose of the user and spaced therefrom, a wall depending from said dome portion to rest upon the face of the user below the nostrils thereof, a flexible flap at the bearing end of said wall, said dome having an inwardly extending opening therein to provide a medicament receiving chamber closed at one end and open to atmosphere at the other, said opening communiacting with the space between said dome and the nose of the user, a medicament cartridge engaged in said opening, and a heating coil embedded in said body in the forehead and cheek portions thereof, as well as in said dome.

CALVEN AERICK.

REFERENCES CITED The'following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,819,076 Davies Aug, 18, 1931 2,241,356 Magee May 6, 1941 2,445,347 Ehlinger July 20, 1948 

